Under The Willow
by willowcantwrite
Summary: "Beware what sleeps under the willow, only darkness lays there." ThunderClan and SkyClan are under new leadership, and both Clans always seem to be on the verge of an all out war. When three kits are brought into the Clans, raised without the knowledge of their true past, how will their involvement shape the future of the two Clans? Will they unite them, or destroy them?
1. Prologue

Prologue:

Snowflakes drifted down, silently, to blanket the ground. The surrounding forest was quiet, as if every animal had gone to hide from the harsh yet beautiful weather. The crunch of paws on snow broke the tranquillity, as a tortoiseshell she-cat led three kits and a tom through the frozen forest, her amber eyes glinting in the pale moonlight. One of the kits let out a squeak as a flake landed on her nose, stumbling back into a tree. The tom murmured something to her, and pushed her forward with his tail. The tortoiseshell bent her head to give the kit a few comforting licks on the head before continuing to push forward; they couldn't afford to stop, even in the middle of winter. "Luna?" mewed the small brown and white kit to the tortoiseshell, "how much longer?"

"Just one more day, little one. The lake isn't far now." Luna reassured her daughter, though she struggled to reassure herself. They'd been walking for over half a moon, and the closer they got the longer it felt. The winter chill had settled in only a day after their journey began, and it didn't take long for their pads to feel sore and an ache to settle into their very bones. Food was scarce; the only reliable food source was Twoleg scraps, with the prey keeping warm in their nests. All five cats were finding it difficult to continue walking as each day went by, with the kits finding it the hardest. Luna had been pregnant when they first set off, giving birth barely three days later and leaving almost as soon as her two daughters – Willow and Sweetie - had opened their eyes.

"Luna, we can't keep going in this snow. The kits need rest." Insisted the light brown tabby tom, Milo, curling his tail around the third kit. Luna slowed to a halt, assessing the cats shivering behind her. She met Milo's gaze, and he continued to speak. "We're going to freeze to death, I'm worried about Oliver." He motioned to the ginger tabby tom, who was now burying himself into Milo's pelt. The tortoiseshell she-cat let out a long sigh but nodded in agreement and padded off to find shelter. It was times like this that she longed for her old Twoleg den, with her mate curled up beside her, his purrs and his scent surrounding her as she slipped into a deep slumber…

Luna shook out her pelt and focused her mind; those days were over, and her mate was gone. She had to focus on her daughters, and Milo and his kit. She could feel fresh grief welling up inside her, and promptly shoved it all the way back down. She wasn't the only one that suffered, as Milo had lost his mate and his other kits in the fire. Luna didn't have time to mourn; she only had time to move on. Urgently, the she-cat waded over to a large oak tree and tilted her gaze up to where a hollow lay in the trunk. "Over here!" She yowled to the rest of the cats. As Milo approached with Oliver dangling from his jaws, and her kits clinging to his back, Luna dug her claws into the tree's bark and hauled herself upward. She dragged herself into the hollow and sniffed around. _It's cramped but it's dry, it should keep us safe until the snow let's up._ She thought, before turning back and reaching her head down to grab Oliver from Milo.

Milo finished passing up the kits and then lifted himself into the makeshift shelter, shaking out his fur in an attempt to get rid of the snow that clung to it. Luna let out a small hiss of annoyance as it promptly hit her, but just swished her tail and curled up at the furthest end from the entrance, her daughters latching onto her to suckle. Milo settled down beside her, rasping his tongue over his son to warm him up. Soon, all three kits were sleeping peacefully, their soft snores filling the hollow. Luna stayed up, simply watching as the snow began to fall and the harsh winter wind howled and screamed like an angry animal. Milo turned his warm hazel gaze to her, breaking her concentration, and she didn't need words to know what he was saying to her. The memory of the day that led them here was playing in both of their minds, a thought that seemed stuck on a loop.

_Smoke rose and brushed against her dappled pelt as Luna staggered down the stairs of her Twoleg den, the fumes encompassing her and wrapping around her like ivy so thick it could suffocate. The she-cat was vaguely aware pf the screeches of Twoleg's and other cats mingled together, yowls of horror, desperation, and fear. She swayed on her paws, digging her claws into the wood beneath her to stop herself from collapsing. Her mind was foggy, and her belly was swollen and made her steps even clumsier. Luna misjudged her next step and ended up sliding down the last few steps to the hard wooden floor at the bottom, the breath knocked out of her. _

_Agonisingly, the tortoiseshell queen tried to push herself upwards, but her paws collapsed under her and her lungs burned for air. She lay their gasping, her throat stinging and her yowls turning hoarse; she was yowling for her Twolegs, her mate, her father, anyone. Luna could hear the pitiful mews of kits, but they sounded so far away. There were howls of pain from their mother as the flames inside the den raged brutally, destroying all they could with their melting touch. _I'm sorry, Pumpkin. _The thought ran through Luna's mind over and over as the howls grew louder, and she knew they belonged to the beautiful ginger queen. There was nothing she could do to save them, she was utterly useless. All she could do was lay there, as blackness swan at the edges of her vision. The last thing she felt after closing her eyes was warm paws lifting her from the ground, and fresh air filling her lungs._

_Luna blinked open her eyes slowly and painfully, taking in the scene around her. The floor beneath her was cold and hard, and her pelt smelt of smoke and a harsh Twoleg scent. _The vets. _She realised, lifting her head wearily and taking in her surroundings. Milo was curled up beside her, his brown eyes blank and void of emotion as he stared ahead. Her father, Buttons, an old black tom with amber eyes, was sitting hunched over with grief on her other side. Finally, in a few heartbeats, it clicked within her mind that Pumpkin and she and Milo's kits were missing. "Where are Pumpkin and the kits?" Luna questioned the others, her voice sounding rough and far away to her own ears_

"_Pumpkin and two of the kits didn't make it out. One is still being cared for." Buttons explained briskly, forcing the words out as though it pained him. Luna had never seen her father look so defeated, his age finally catching up with him. Luna felt numb with shock, and as she looked around again another thought sliced through her heart. "Where's Rocky?" She whispered, realising the absence of the sleek black tom. Buttons simply stared ahead grimly, his silence saying all that it needed to say. Luna felt her world shatter, knowing that she would never see her mate – the father of her kits – ever again. She wanted to wail that it wasn't fair, to yowl and hiss that this wasn't supposed to happen, but she felt too stunned. She felt as though a hole had opened within her chest and swallowed her heart._

_Shaking, she pressed against the light brown tabby next to her, now recognising that it was grief behind the cause of his blank stare. For a few moments, the cats merely sat there, buried in their loss. Then, Buttons spoke up again. "You two can't stay here," he rasped, "there is no den left for us, you must take the kit and go." Luna's gaze drifted up to him._

"_Where would we go?" She asked softly._

"_The lake, you must go to the lake and look for the Clans." Her father replied. He met her confused gaze after a few more heartbeats, and settled down closer to her and began to explain. "Eleven winters ago, when I was a kit, my mother told me a story of a large group of cats who travelled past her Twolegplace in search of the setting Sun. Curious, she followed them for days on end, and found that they came across a lake."_

"_Why did she follow them all that way?" The she-cat asked, her curiosity piqued when her father's gaze clouded and he simply continued speaking._

"_My mother stayed in a Twolegplace near there for moons, but she felt very lonely. When she fell pregnant with me and my siblings, she travelled home and never looked back," the black tom paused, lost in thought, before turning his amber eyes away again, "the Clans will take care of you and your kits, Luna, you must leave."_

Milo dipped his head to say goodnight, and rested his muzzle near Oliver. Luna looked down at her precious kits, wishing that their father could have known them. That things could have been different for their family, for Milo's family, for their Twoleg's. She lay her head on her paws and closed her eyes, letting sleep overwhelm her exhausted mind; she dreamt of a lake, of a life there, of a Clan that would accept her. She dreamt of a new life, in the wild.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One:

_The sound of furious hisses and yowls of pain awoke Willowkit in her nest. She stared around the dark den, blearily, as the cream ears of her sister pricked next to her. The yowls and cries got louder and Willowkit sat up, her fluffy tail pointed with interest.  
"Willowkit? What's happening?" Her sister, Sweetkit, whispered tiredly. Willowkit stared into the dark brown kit's amber eyes, seeing her own curiousity reflected there. She shrugged turning around to nudge Sparrowleap awake.  
"Sparrowleap? Wake up! The warriors sound angry." The little light brown she-kit mewed. The light ginger queen, Sparrowleap, had taken them in when their mother had left them with SkyClan; Willowkit thought she was the bravest and prettiest cat in SkyClan. The queen lifted her head, green eyes filling with confusion and annoyance before realising the situation. She opned her mouth to yowl something at them but a skinny, silver tabby tom burst through the entrance of the den. His pelt was ragged and slick with blood, his sides heaving and his eyes gleaming with a cold menace that Willowkit had never seen before. Sparrowleap was instantly up on her paws, her teeth bared in a hateful snarl, the fur along her back standing on end as she stepped in front of the two kits. The tom's eyes were like ice, and Willowkit shrank back with fear as a flash of grim delight shone within them. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest, and felt Sweetkit press her body against her flank. For a few tense moments, the warriors simply stared at each other._

_Suddenly, there was a hiss of anger and the ginger queen flung herself at the strange tom. They collided in a mesh of teeth, claws and flying fur. They rolled around on the floor of the nursery, spitting and hissing. Willowkit couldn't keep up with the movements of each cat, the sound of screeches deafening her as she pressed herself against the wall of the nursery, wrapping her fluffy tail around her sister as an act of comfort.  
"You'll never harm this kits, ThunderClan scum!" Growled Sparrowleap, raking her claws across the toms belly as his attempted to pin her down.  
"You think you're a match for me, soft nursery queen? You still have the scent of kit's mllk on you!" The ThunderClan tom spat the reply into her face, and they continued to roll around in the dirt. The silver tom rushed his muzzle forward towards Sparrowleap's throat, latching his teeth into the soft skin and biting down like she was a piece of prey.  
"Sparrowleap!" Wailed Sweetkit, her soft kitten fur fluffed up in sheer terror. Sparrowleap tried to respond, but her voice was nothing but gurgles and spluttered words, blood spilling out of her throat as the warrior tightened his grip. Willowkit felt numb as she watched the life drain out of the beautiful queen, her light ginger fur becoming darker as blood covered it. Eventually, after what felt like moons, she went limp – her eyes glazed over, staring blankly ahead of her. _

_The tom shook out his pelt, purring with a sick kind of satisfaction. Willowkit felt a shiver run down her spine as he turned his gaze towards her and Sweetkit. He took a step forward, and Willowkit braced herself, but a yowl of retreat sounded from outside.  
"ThunderClan, scatter! Ripplestar is dead!"  
The silver tabby growled with displeasure, but turned tail and pelted out of the nursery den. Wearily, Willowkit crawled towards the entrance and peaked her head out. On the ground lay a blue-grey tom cat, and close by rested the body of SkyClan's leader – Sagestar. The two apprentices, Frozenpaw and Maplepaw, were huddled together; the two toms look battered, but proud. The sound of approaching pawsteps caused cat's heads to snap in their direction. Warrior's pelts relaxed as they realised it was only the medicine cat, Fawnspring, returning from the half-moon meeting with her apprentice – Sugarpaw. The cream coloured medicine cat's eyes widened in horror, urgently whispering something to her apprentice as she padded quickly towards the medicine den, her amber eyes grim. Willowkit ran across the clearing to Sugarpaw, feeling te urge to bury herself in her fur.  
"Sugarpaw! It was awful! There were cats fighting everywhere and this big scary tom came into the nursery and-" Her wail was interrupted as Sugarpaw raised her tail to silence her.  
"Are Sparrowleap and Sweetkit okay?" The she-cat questioned calmly, and Willowkit was almost lost in her intense green stare.  
"Sweetkit is okay, but Sugarpaw-" Willowkit was cut off again by Fawnspring's approaching mew, her voice muffled by bundles of herbs.  
"Her name is Sugarleaf now, and as a full medicine cat her responsibility should be checking over her Clanmate's wounds, _not _chatting with an uninjured kit." Her meow was stern, and she flicked her tail to beckon Sugarleaf away. Willowkit sat there, feeling hopeless, and wanting to wail with grief. The little kit didn't know what to do, so she just stayed, watching the medicine cats treat all the warriors one by one. Eventually, she saw Fawnspring start murmuring words to a fluffy grey she-cat, whose black ears were pricked attentively. _Softstream. _Willowkit recognised the SkyClan deputy. Maplepaw padded over to Willowkit, sympathy shining in his warm amber eyes. The kit couldn't tell apart what was blood or what was his russet-coloured fur.  
"They're discussing Softstream's visit to the Moonpool, to become leader," he explained, his voice soft yet filled with heartbreak,"when she gets back, she'll be Softstar."  
"I'll miss Sagestar." Mewed Willowkit, staring at the broken body of their old leader in the clearing. His once glossy black pelt looked dull and ragged, and he looked the smallest Willowkit had seen him. She wanted to be just like Sagestar one day, proud and brave; she felt sad for him, but she was too young to know him properly. Maplepaw merely muttered his agreement, before bowing his head. Willowkit saw Echostrike, a senior warrior, curl up next to the old leader and begin to groom his fur. The ginger she-cat seemed to whisper things to him, words full of sadness and love; Willowkit felt like she shouldn't be watching, so she turned her head._

_Slowly, she made her way back towards the nursery, feeling scared an uncertain. She was almost six moons old, and she was so excited about her warrior training, but now she was terrified. She was aware that battles took place, she play-fought with her sister all the time, but she'd always been too young to realise how serious it was. Now, though, she realised the full extent. She'd never felt so small in her life, so unsure. She didn't want to grow up, and tonight it felt like she'd been forced to. She braced herself outside of the den entrance, wanting to be brave for her sister, and pushed her way inside._

Willowberry was awoken by the sound of pain-filled yowls. Her head shot up and her ears pricked, suddenly alert. Her eyes adjusted, and and she looked around the warriors den, at each cat sleeping, their breaths and snores mingling together. The wails contonued, and Willowberry recogised the cries of Silverwater, a silver queen. Willowberry let herself relax when she realised there was no threat, and lay her head on her paws as she listened to Silverwater growl something angrily to some cat. _She must have started kitting during the night. _Thought the warrior, licking her paw and swiping it over her white right ear. A fluffy mass of russet fur fidgeted next to her, rolling around and letting out a snore. Willowberry stifled an amused purr and heaved herself to her paws, padding quietly around the sleeping warriors; she knew there would be no hope of her sleeping again tonight.

Silently, she settled down outside the entrance to the den, tucking her paws beneath her chest as low moans echoed throughout the SkyClan camp. The light brown and white she-cat glanced over to the nursery, feeling dark memories well up within her – yowls of anger and pain. She shut her eyes tight against the fear, and tried to make her fur lay flat. The thought of being inside the nursery walls was terrifying for the young she-cat, and Silverwater's desperate cries were making it so much worse. After a few heartbeats of deep breaths, Willowberry slowly opened her eyes and tilted her gaze to stare up at Silverpelt, the light of StarClan shining back at her. Sometimes she wondered if she had ancestors up in the sky,watching her; surely there are more stars than warriors? Did that mean that her father was up there somewhere? _I wonder if he's proud of me._ Willowberry thought wistfully, hoping it was the truth.

"What are you thinking about tonight then?" A rough voice said behind her, causing her to jump. She whirled around to see Maplescar, the dark ginger tom stretching his body with a yawn. Willowberry let out a relieved sigh, before cuffing the tom lightly over the ears.  
"You almost scared me out of my fur!" She purred, swishing her tail happily. Maplescar let out an amused purr right back, and plopped himself down next to her, letting her snuggle up into his fluffy pelt. The young warrior nuzzled her mate's cheek as they let comfortable silence blanket them for a few moments. _Silence? _Willowberry glanced towards the nursery again, straining her ears to hear something. She picked up the faint sound of squeaky mewling, and felt warmth wash over her.  
"Silverwater's given birth." She murmured to Maplescar, feeling like she should keep her voice down to avoid breaking the traquility of the moment. Maplescar let out a grunt of acknowledgement, twining his tail with hers. A speckled ginger she-cat pushed her way out of the nursery entrance, her pale fur turning a silvery colour in the moonlight. She trotted silently towards the medicine den, dipping her head briskly to Willowberry and Maplescar as she went.

"I wonder if Sugarleaf ever misses her mother." Willowberry blurted out, thinking out loud. She cast her thoughts back to Sparrowleap, the kind ginger queen who fought so bravely for kits that weren't hers. Sometimes it was as if you were looking at her ghost when you saw Sugarleaf, mother and daughter so similar and yet so different. Maplescar's gaze clouded over at the statement, his shoulders sagging. Willowberry stared at his shoulders for a moment, at the large scar that ran across them, and was once again reminded of the battle that caused it.  
"Do you ever miss Sagestar?" She asked him, more gently. The russet tom let out a long sigh and turned his head towards her, his eyes distant.  
"I miss my father every day, and my mother, now she's sentenced herself to the elders den." He replied, sadly.  
"You have Larkwhisker, and Orangesplash." Willowberry pointed out encouragingly, thinking of his older sister and brother, but she had her doubts. They'd never been particularly close, and when Maplescar became deputy after his mother – Echostrike – retired, they had distanced themselves almost completely from their younger brother. Willowberry couldn't imagine what it would be like to have your siblings pretend you weren't even kin, as she and Sweetheart had always been close.

Maplescar let out a disgruntled huff, and didn't reply. They sat in silence once more, not knowing what else to say. After a few long heartbeats, Maplescar opened his mouth and meowed:  
"You'll be joining Silverwater soon."  
Standing up, Willowberry flicked her tail at him. She didn't need to be reminded of her impending kitting, her ever-swelling belly reminding her all the time. She'd been putting off her move to the nursery every single day, and she knew Sugarleaf wouldn't allow her much more time before the medicine cat forced her there; Sugarleaf wasn't the most empathetic she-cat in the Clans. Distinictly, Willowberry remembered the day that the ginger cat had told her that there would be kits on the way soon.

"_You're expecting kits." Stated Sugarleaf, matter-of-factly. Willowberry sat there, at the entrance of the medicine den, in shock. She opened her mouth to say something but SkyClan's medicine cat was already checking through her herb store, pulling out some small green leaves and little white flowers. Sugarleaf trotted back over to the expecting queen and set down the herbs, pointing her paw at the leaves first.  
"This is burnet, it'll help you when you feel weak," she meowed, then pointing at the white flowers,"and this is chamomile, it'll help soothe you." Green eyes stern, she waited expectantly in front of Willowberry, and the young warrior surpressed a sigh and lapped up the herbs. Satisfied that Willowberry had eaten what she needed, Sugarleaf turned around and flicked her tail in dismissal, leaving Willowberry alone with the news. _

Since that day, and those bitter herbs, Willowberry hadn't been able to sleep at night. The she-cat spent hours deliberating and anxiously worrying about worst case scenarios. The image of a blood-thirsty ThunderClan deputy burned in her mind, and she couldn't help but picture herself in Sparrowleap's paws – dying, unable to defend the kits in her care. Everytime she saw Prickleclaw at gatherings, the fur on the back of her neck stood up up and she felt the urge to turn tail and flee. The coolness of his gaze seemed deceiving, for she knew what fire really raged behind them. It didn't help that Loststar and Softstar seemed to be at odds with each other constantly; the obvious tension between them could be sliced with a claw. The brown and white queen just kept waiting – waiting for ThunderClan to attack again. What would happen then?

Maplescar broke her train of thought by pressing his soft and warm body against hers, rasping his tongue over her ear to comfort her. He murmured an apology, and told her that everything would be okay. She had him, and her sister Sweetheart. Willowberry wasn't alone, she wasn't a scared little kit in the nursery anymore. Purring, she let herself be calm. She knew that there was nothing to be afraid of this time, and that she would love the kits that she was bringing into the world. No matter what happened, she would be okay; she had to believe that. Looking back up at the stars, she sent a prayer to StarClan to watch over her and her family, and for her father to watch over them too.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two: _**The allegiance list for this story is now in my bio, feel free to check it out if you're interested!**_

Gingertail crept forward silently, his tail swishing over fallen leaves as he barely managed to contain his agitation. All around him, his Clanmates crouched among the shadows, the moon barely a claw in the sky; StarClan glimmered down at them, distant and cold. The warrior's stomach churned, the weight of his first battle settling heavy on his shoulders as he pushed his way stealthily through SkyClan territory. An owl screeched somewhere overhead, its cry echoing throughout the night and right into Gingertail's bones. He didn't know much of the feud between SkyClan and ThunderClan, much less understand it – all he knew was ThunderClan had to win. That was the only thing that Loststar ever told them; ThunderClan must win. The vagueness of it only served to fuel Gingertail's uncertainty, but he remained loyal to his leader nevertheless.

A few tail-lengths in front of him, he saw ThunderClan's skinny leader lift his tail as a sign to halt. Mere moments of silence felt like moons as every cat waited, breath held, for the signal to attack. Gingertail had to try to prevent himself from shifting his paws, their white colour now brown and dirty from trekking through the damp territory. Suddenly, Loststar lowered his tail and let out a furious yowl, the warriors around him leaping into battle without a second thought. Gingertail followed their lead, propelling himself forward into the SkyClan camp and whipping his head side-to-side looking for an enemy warrior to sink his claws into. Blearily, a black tabby she-cat stumbled out of the warriors den, letting out a cry of alarm before Gingertail leaped towards her, his claws outstretched. He gripped onto her back as hard as he could and sank his teeth into her scruff, registering her yowl of pain as he did so. Hissing and spitting, the she-cat thrashed violently in an attempt to dislodge him, before finally rolling herself over and pinning Gingertail beneath her.

The ginger tabby felt his breath be knocked out of him, and he barely had enough time to roll again to dodge the she-cat's incoming blow. Using his hind legs, he kicked upwards into the black warrior's soft belly fur and heard a _thump_ as she landed on the ground. Quick as lightning, he leaped onto her and gripped her shoulders with his front paws, raking her stomach repeatedly with his back ones. The black tabby let out a pained screech, desperately throwing him off and pelting away into the mess of battle. As he watched her disappear among the fighting cats, her fur stuck between his claws, Gingertail let himself feel an ounce of pride before looking around for more SkyClan warriors.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two SkyClan queens battling with a brown ThunderClan warrior – Taloncry. Despite the tom's failing eyesight, he was matching the two she-cats step for step, not letting them overwhelm him. Gingertail almost turned away, feeling satisfied that the older warrior didn't need his help, when he heard a blood-curdling wail from within the nursery. It sounded like… _A kit!_ He thought, terror flashing within him. A kit was in pain! Enemy Clan or not, he knew it would be wrong to ignore a defenceless kit's cries. Without another thought, Gingertail found his paws carrying him towards the nursery entrance; he had to help the kit, which was all he could think about.

Bursting through the entrance, the distinct tang of blood caused a sinking feeling to settle in his gut. Gingertail took a moment to survey the den, his gaze resting on two tiny bodies hidden in shadow. They lay, limp and lifeless, at one corner of the nursery; horrified, he knew these kits were dead. The warrior was snapped out of his revere as a growl sounded from the back of the den, where another warrior loomed over two more kits, the barely breathing body of a dark brown she-cat at his side. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, Gingertail recognised the silver tabby pelt of ThunderClan's deputy, Prickleclaw!

"Prickleclaw! How could you do this?" spat Gingertail, gaining the small tom's attention. Prickleclaw let out a gentle purr of amusement, and Gingertail had to fight to swallow his disgust.

"Why, don't you see, Gingertail?" he asked, his voice smooth and silkily deceptive, "this is the only way to beat SkyClan for good! To destroy the heart of it, to destroy their future!" His voice rose to an angry yowl, his fur fluffing up along his spine.

"You're a spineless coward, Prickleclaw." Gingertail hissed back in reply, sliding his claws out in warning. Prickleclaw gave the ginger tabby no warning, throwing himself at him with a ferocious hiss. Gingertail quickly dodged to one side, spinning around and slashing the deputy across his nose. Barely batting an eye, Prickleclaw leaped again, hooking his long claws into Gingertail's pelt and dragging him to the ground. Furiously, the two toms rolled around on the ground, biting and ripping out fur wherever they could. Feeling cold air whisk past his ears, Gingertail knew that they had passed the entrance of the nursery, but he didn't let go of Prickleclaw's fur beneath his claws. He battered the silver tabby's belly with his hind paws, and ripped out a chuck of neck fur with his teeth. He felt the other warrior retaliate by sinking his sharp teeth into Gingertail's left ear and digging his claws into the ginger warrior's flesh even deeper.

Blood pounding in his ears, Gingertail barely even noticed the pull of teeth against his scruff as another cat tried to haul him off of Prickleclaw. All he saw was red, letting out an incredulous howl as he was pulled away from the ThunderClan deputy; he thrashed his paws about, hoping to snag them back into that mangy silver pelt. Pulling himself free, he turned his head to see the stern violet-blue gaze of his leader – Loststar – staring back at him. Gingertail sheathed his claws, feeling his batted pelt prick with shame amongst the anger he felt. He turned his green eyes back to Prickleclaw, pleased to see the tom's sides heaving as tattered silver clumps of fur hung from his pelt. The dark brown tabby pelt of their leader stepped between them, analysing both of them in turn before turning back to Gingertail.

"What is the meaning of this, Gingertail?" Loststar asked, coolly, his tone not giving anything away. Gingertail froze for a moment, feeling intimidated, but the rage burning with in him forced the words out of his mouth.

"Prickleclaw killed two SkyClan kits!" He spat, digging his claws into the earth. He saw the two fighting queens from earlier – a silvery she-cat and a brown and white she-cat – exchange a horrified glance before running into the nursery. Tense silence surrounded every warrior for a couple of heartbeats, before a hauntingly anguished wail echoed around the camp. The silver queen padded slowly back out, her ears and tail drooping.

"Squeakkit and Bouncekit are dead," she choked out, her meow barely more than a whisper, "Swallowkit and Sweetheart are badly injured." The queen finished, swaying on her paws. Gingertail saw the russet-coloured pelt of Maplescar, the SkyClan deputy, rush towards the entrance; their medicine cat, Sugarleaf, wasn't far behind. Every cat was stunned into silence for a few moments, before someone spat out a curse directed at Prickleclaw. Soon, all warriors were hissing and spitting threats at the ThunderClan deputy, even those from ThunderClan. When Gingertail tried to step towards him, Loststar blocked his path. The ThunderClan leader swiftly passed his gaze around the camp, before addressing both Clans.

"What Prickleclaw has done here today is unacceptable, and you have my word that we will take him back to ThunderClan and punish him accordingly." He meowed, pausing as Softstar took a few steps towards him, her eyes blazing. The grey she-cat looked ready to continue the battle, but a snowy-white pelt flashed past. A fluffy tom with a dead front paw stood tall in front of her, and Gingertail noticed that one of his eyes was blue and the other was green. _How strange… _He thought, taking a brief moment to reflect; this cat looked older than him, and yet he'd never seen him before.

"Frozenfoot!" Softstar hissed, outraged, "move out of the way! Loststar and his pathetic Clan have brought nothing but destruction!"

"No, mother," The white warrior, Frozenfoot, replied gently, "I think SkyClan has suffered enough in battle today. Let them go." Frozenfoot added, with a flick of his tail towards Loststar and Prickleclaw. Softstar narrowed her eyes, seemingly taking a moment to think, before backing of and sheathing her claws.

"Very well, Frozenfoot. As long as you promise to punish this pathetic excuse for a warrior, Loststar?" The SkyClan leader questioned, and Loststar dipped his head to her.

"You have my word." The dark tabby said, neutrally. The nursery entrance rustled again, and Gingertail felt his mouth go dry as he saw the light brown and white queen stagger out with a limp bundle in her jaws. Maplescar followed her out just as solemnly, holding the second kit. They placed them down carefully a little ways away from the gaggle of beaten warriors, barely acknowledging them. Gingertail could see the kits more clearly now; one was a fluffy white tom with ginger patches, the other a tiny light brown tabby she-kit. Maplescar sat down next to the queen, looking hurt when she flinched away from his touch. Vaguely, he heard his leader murmur something to Softstar, but the ginger tabby was too wrapped up in his grief for Maplescar and the queen to take much notice.

Gingertail turned his head away and saw Loststar give the signal to ThunderClan that it was time to leave. Still reeling and feeling tired to his core, Gingertail followed his Clanmates slowly out of the camp. As they began to leave to go back to their own territory, he saw the SkyClan warriors begin to cluster around the broken bodies of the two kits, whispering comforting words to the grieving she-cat that sat next to them. The sight of the mourning Clan disappeared as the battle party headed further and further away, travelling almost silently back to the ThunderClan camp. The loss of any kit's life weighed heavily on a warrior, their birth Clan didn't change that. Glancing to the side, Gingertail suppressed a growl at Prickleclaw – the murderous deputy was being flanked by two warriors, Lightstrike and Alderbranch. The little grey apprentice, Owlpaw, trailed behind; he most likely wished to talk to his father, Alderbranch, but the russet tom was steadfastly ignoring his son.

Gingertail took a moment to feel bad for the young warrior in training, reflecting on his own absence of a father, but Loststar picked up speed up ahead and the ginger and white warrior padded swiftly forward. Approaching the ThunderClan hollow, he spotted a familiar she-cat sitting outside – waiting for them to come home. Gingertail felt his heart rate pick up as he took in her shining white pelt, her rose-coloured ears and tail. Her eyes were the colour of a Greenleaf sunset, and they held the same warmth and sense of peace within them. Gingertail's tabby pelt felt hot as she skipped towards them, her tail rising happily when she met his green gaze.

"Gingertail! You're safe, thank StarClan!" She purred, pressing her muzzle against the tom's ear. Gingertail could feel the relief radiating from her fur.

"How did it go, Loststar?" The she-cat asked the leader, who simply continued walking to his den. Her tail drooped sadly, and Gingertail nudged her.

"I'll tell you all about it, Rosebriar, don't worry." Gingertail reassured her, the happiness in her eyes almost making him forget the tragedy of the night's battle. Yet, he still remembered, and his thoughts darkened. Rosebriar looked on curiously as Lightstrike shoved Prickleclaw to the ground in the centre of camp, the black she-cat staring down at him icily. Alderbranch let out a threatening growl as the silver tom made a move to stand back up, so the deputy simply let out a snort of contempt and stayed crouched down, flanked by the two warriors. Loststar called to a senior warrior, Riverwish, from inside his den; her eyes clouded with confusion, but the blue-grey she-cat made her way over. Gingertail thought to himself that Loststar would be discussing with her what to do about Prickleclaw – she was a wise cat, as she was the daughter of ThunderClan's previous leader. Gingertail swivelled his ears in an attempt to hear what they were whispering about, just barely hearing hushed words of concern.

The feel of a rough tongue against his fur broke his concentration, and he saw Rosebriar clearing the mud from his torn up pelt. Gingertail felt a rush of affection for his closest friend, the comfort of the rhythmic strokes of her tongue soothing him. Rosebriar had been a kit when ThunderClan brought him in, her and her sister Featherfoot welcoming him instantly and letting him join in on all their games. They had stayed close throughout their apprenticeships, while Featherfoot was more concerned with getting Alderbranch's attention. Sometimes Gingertail wondered where he'd be without the white and ginger warrior, who supported him with unwavering certainty. _She'd be a good mate someday… _The tabby tom thought wistfully, before shaking the idea from his head. They were too young to be thinking about that, even if that hadn't stopped Featherfoot from having kits almost as soon as she'd earned her warrior name. He could see the grey she-cat now, licking Owlpaw over the ears as her daughter Blossompaw trotted out of the medicine den to inspect him. Despite Alderbranch's obvious absence, the family still seemed happy. Gingertail envied them.

Gingertail spotted Loststar slink his way out of the leader's den, the skinny tom looked so calm and yet unnerving. Riverwish followed close behind, her gaze troubled.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Loststar called, leaping gracefully up onto the Highledge to address the Clan. His pelt held a mysterious glow as the sun began to rise. The warriors who hadn't already gathered settled down around the clearing, yawning, while Silentfrost – the medicine cat – called Blossompaw over to sit beside him. Two kits rushed, squealing, out of the nursery; Rapidcall, a grey and white queen, followed them out and scolded them. She shooed them back into the nursery, their little cries of protest muffling as they were pushed back inside. Two young warriors, Brightmoon and Sparrowtail, helped the elders out of their den while chattering excitedly to each other.

"Young cats! All they seem to be good for is endless chit-cat." Grumbled Marshscar, Taloncry and Loststar's mother.

"Ignore them Marshscar, they're just curious about what Loststar has to say about the battle." Dustyheart, a pale tabby she-cat, croaked in reply. Marshscar snorted, and Gingertail stifled a purr of amusement. When all the cats had gathered, Loststar nodded to Riverwish. The tabby she-cat jumped up onto Highledge to stand beside him, eliciting a few surprised murmurs from the Clan below. Before any more cats could speak up, Loststar let out a yowl ordering for silence. He beckoned Lightstrike and Alderbranch forward with his tail, his gaze cold as they dragged Prickleclaw's hissing body towards him. Cats looked on, baffled.

"Cats of ThunderClan," the dark tom began, "as you well know, tonight we launched an attack on SkyClan's camp. We made a plan, but Prickleclaw – your deputy! – believed that he knew better than us." Loststar leaped down, his paws hitting the ground in front of the small silver tabby and he thrashed his tail from side-to-side in barely restrained anger. "Prickleclaw decided to launch his own attack, on the SkyClan nursery!" he spat, pausing as several outraged hisses and meows of disbelief followed his words, then continuing, "one of our warriors, Gingertail, caught him in the act. Gingertail! Step forward and tell the Clan what you saw." Loststar called to the orange tom, and Gingertail felt his pelt burn as every eye in camp settled on him. Gingertail was amongst the youngest warriors in the Clan, and one of the most inexperienced; ThunderClan had always struggled with accepting him, so the thought of standing beside his leader and addressing them was daunting. He stumbled his way towards his leader, keeping his gaze trained to his paws, before sitting beside Loststar and recounting his story.

"I-… I heard, um, yowling from inside the nursery," he began, inwardly cursing himself for being so nervous, but he continued, "and I thought it was just the queens fighting, but I recognised the squealing of kits. I went to, um, investigate. What I saw was…" Gingertail's voice trailed away as he remembered the distinct smell of fresh blood, the fear scent of the kits; the two broken bodies, the ThunderClan deputy ready to strike again. He looked up and saw the whole Clan staring at him expectantly, and he took a shaking breath to quell his fear, and his anger, before pressing on.

"I saw Prickleclaw, standing over two little kits. The body of a she-cat lay next to him, and-" he paused, swallowing, "the bodies of two dead kits lay in the other corner." He finished, blocking out the gasps and murmurs around him. Now that the moment was gone, the flames of rage that burned within him were now simmering embers, and he felt a wave of exhaustion almost sweep him off his paws. All he desired was to curl up in his nest next to Rosebriar in the warrior's den and sleep for a few moons. His mind focuses back into reality when Loststar stepped forward to loom over his deputy, his almost violet eyes assessing him and his Clanmates in one swift glance. Some cats were hissing that Prickleclaw was a filthy murderer, others were whispering as though they could hardly believe it, and a select few simply sat silently – watching. Loststar's voice rose above the cacophony of meows as he spoke once more.

"Gingertail fought bravely against Prickleclaw when he attacked him, and the bodies of those kits were all the evidence needed to seal his fate. Prickleclaw, have you anything to say in your defence?" Loststar questioned the tom, who let out an angry growl before shoving his face towards the dark brown tabby.

"You're a soft-hearted kit, Loststar! You, and the rest of this stinking Clan!" Prickleclaw spat defiantly, his tail sweeping over the floor of the hollow in outrage. The deputy turned to spit the rest of his venom at his Clanmates, his usually cool eyes and demeanour turning wild. "None of you pathetic mouse-brains know anything about how to make a Clan strong! I weakened SkyClan at their heart, and if I were leading you, we would all be feasting on their prey!" his voice lifted until his was almost shrieking; "I have true strength! You're too scared of what StarClan will think to think for yourselves, you sorry excuses for warriors have nothing." Prickleclaw finished with a snarl, bearing his teeth. Riverwish jumped down from the Highledge to stand beside Loststar, her ice blue gaze filled with disgust.

"We have honour, Prickleclaw, unlike you. Without honour, a warrior is not a warrior." She meowed, an air of wisdom settling around her as she stood tall in front of the wild cat. Loststar nodded in agreement with the she-cat, showing no sympathy for his once trusted friend.

"Prickleclaw, from now on, you are banished from ThunderClan," he spoke harshly, "if you are caught on our territory, you will be hunted like the worthless piece of prey you are. You are dismissed." The tom added, with a cold flick of his tail. Gingertail could see that Prickleclaw was looking around at every single cat, sizing them all up. Rage flashed in his eyes, and Gingertail knew that he'd realised this would be one fight that he would have no chance of winning. _The only fights he can win are against helpless kits. _He thought bitterly. The silver tom cat let out a final hiss of contempt before stalking his way out of the hollow, his tail disappearing as he fled. Loststar ordered Riverwish to organise a patrol to follow the ex-deputy, just in case he decided to change his mind. The blue-grey she-cat murmured her acceptance of the order and called to Driftspring, Lightstrike, Briarfall and Dewshine. Gingertail noted that the cats she had called to were all her kits, and he wondered if the events of the battle had made her desire to be with her own children again.

Rosebriar padded up to Dewshine, a beautiful dappled silver queen, and nuzzled her cheek to say good-bye, muttering for her to be safe. Dewshine looked over at Loststar, blue meeting blue as the two cats locked eyes. The ThunderClan leader turned back towards his den without saying a word, and Dewshine meowed a final farewell to Rosebriar before joining her family. Gingertail could see his friend's shoulders sag as her mother climbed away, and he padded over to join her. Giving her an affectionate lick on the ear, he pressed himself against the warmth of her soft pelt and took a moment to breath in her scent. As dawn light cast shadows over the camp, Gingertail couldn't help the sinking feeling that took weight in his stomach.

_What if Prickleclaw strikes again? Will the Clan's kits be safe?_


	4. Chapter Three (part one)

Chapter Three (part one): **_Please leave a review if you have the time! I'd like to know any feedback you have to give. As a side note, ShadowClan appear in this chapter, and so far I don't have an allegiance list for them. When I do it'll appear in my bio along with the main one. _**

**_Two ShadowClan apprentices (Rookpaw and Emberpaw) actually belong to a friend of mine! Please check out her tumblr: dystopian-thunderclan. She's an amazing story teller and a talented artist, so give her page a looksee. _**

**_Now, onto the next chapter…_**

_Mist swirled around Swallowkit's paws as she padded through the lush green forest. A bird flashed past above her head, and she let out a _mrrow _of excitement before increasing her pace to chase after it. The sound of wind whistling through her ears drowned out everything except the puffs of the cat's own breaths as she raced after the prey, her little paws moving gracefully over the ground. Swallowkit felt anticipation well up inside her as she drew closer; she bunched her muscles and leaped into the air, her sharp claws snagging on the bird's blue and white feathers. Swallowkit's heart lurched as it let out a screech and slashed at her with its claws. The tiny cat let go and landed back onto the ground with a thud, feeling the air being forcibly pushed out of her lungs._

_Swallowkit thrashed her tail with indignation, yowling at the stupid bird. She let out a childish huff of annoyance before taking in her surroundings. The she-cat realised she stood, illuminated by moonlight, a couple of tail-lengths from a stream of shining, clear water. Swallowkit stepped closer tentatively, not recognising where she was, sneezing when something brushed past her pink nose. She looked up to see a huge tree looming over her, its roots massive and gnarled at the base. The tree's branches hung low, limp and dangling; she'd never seen such a tree before. The moon shone behind it, forming a halo at the top. Swallowkit felt unease crawl across her fluffy pelt, the shadows within the roots of the tree generating a sense of foreboding as its long branches waved gently in the breeze. _

_"Beware, little one." A voice whispered in her ear. Swallowkit whipped around to see a tall, cream furred she-cat standing behind her. Her eyes were dark amber, and Swallowkit felt even smaller under their hardened gaze. The she-cat thrust her muzzle towards the blue and white cat, her breath washing over Swallowkit. _

_"Who are you?" Swallowkit squeaked, timidly. She knew not to challenge a warrior much bigger than she. _

_"I am Fawnspring. I was the SkyClan medicine cat before you were born, and I've come to give you a message." The cream cat muttered in response, before moving her muzzle over Swallowkit's head and latching her teeth into her scruff. Swallowkit let herself go limp in the medicine cat's jaws, her heart pounding in her chest. _

_"Don't be scared, little Swallowkit; I won't hurt you." Came Fawnspring's muffled words of comfort. She set Swallowkit down beside the stream, and she looked into the water. She'd never seen her reflection before, and she blinked in surprise at her strikingly dark ginger muzzle. Swallowkit pawed at her reflection, jumping back in surprise at the coolness of the water. The ripples sent out by her touch seemed to freeze the water as they went, and her reflection was trapped by the frozen stream. Swallowkit let out a yowl of surprise as her barely-visible reflection tried to push against the ice, its jaws open in a silent wail. Swallowkit pressed her white paws onto the stream, as if to break it, but it was no use, her reflection crying out uselessly as it faded beneath the ice. _

_"Be careful of the decisions you make, little one, the ripples might end with you trapped by the ice." Fawnspring murmured into her ear, and Swallowkit felt the mist crawl over her, swallowing her tiny body until she couldn't see. She tried to call out for the medicine cat, not feeling her presence behind her anymore, but her voice seemed stuck in her throat. Fear seized her as she realised she couldn't speak, and the mist was so thick she couldn't see the sky anymore._

_"Beware, little one."_

Swallowkit jerked awake in her little nest in the medicine den, looking over to see Sugarleaf, the sandy coloured cat sorting through her herbs. She'd had that dream almost every night now; every night she dreamed she was little again, running after that bird and finding that stream. However, this was the first time any other cat had been there, speaking to her, stars swirling in their pelt. _Fawnspring…_ Swallowkit pushed the thought away, it was probably nothing.

She opened her mouth to tell Sugarleaf she was awake, but her voice was caught in her throat again. Pawing at the poultice wrapped around her neck, she remembered the injury that had caused her to lose her voice. Sugarleaf wasn't sure that the little kit would make it, as the blow dealt to her would be fatal to even a full grown warrior; even though Swallowkit had lived, the medicine cat wasn't sure her meow would ever be the same again. The thought was terrifying for Swallowkit, the idea that she would never be able to speak again. Would she ever be able to mentor a cat when she was older, if she couldn't instruct them?

_Long, sharp claws raised in the air as Swallowkit stood defiantly in front of her brother. Kitekit was cowering behind his sister, whimpering for their mother – Silverwater. Swallowkit refused to be afraid, believing herself to be as tough as any warrior. With Sweetheart collapsed, it was up to her to protect Kitekit. She let out a pathetic hiss, and the claws bore down towards her throat. Pain seared through her, and the world began to fade…_

Swallowkit shivered, thinking back to those cold blue eyes staring down at her. Maybe she would never even be a warrior; she didn't think she could ever raise her claws against another cat like that. Perhaps she would just stay in the medicine den forever, a burden on the rest of her Clanmates. Resigning herself to self-pity, she watched as Sugarleaf turned to look at her.

"You're awake, I see. Are you feeling any worse than before?" She asked, sniffing at Swallowkit's throat. Swallowkit opened her mouth to speak again, but shut it and simply shook her head when she remembered that she couldn't reply. Sugarleaf gave a brisk nod in response, and gathered some pungent smelling leaves into her mouth. Swallowkit wrapped her tail over her nose and just observed as the medicine cat put them into a pile, whispering under her breath as she padded back and forth – sorting her herbs.

"Swallowkit!" shouted a voice from outside, rapidly approaching, "Swallowkit, you'll never guess what I did today!" Swallowkit turned to see her brother, Kitepaw, standing at the entrance to the medicine den. His chest was heaving and his soft white fur looked ragged, leaves poking out in various places. Kitepaw's feet looked dirty, and Swallowkit scrunched up her nose to show her distaste at his current state.

"Rainfall showed me how to climb trees. Gosh, you should've seen her! She jumps so high, I don't know if I'll ever be as good as her! Do you think I'll ever jump high, Swallowkit?" Kitepaw continued to babble, and Swallowkit wished she could snap at him, asking him how she was supposed to answer his question. She settled for flicking her tail irritably, drowning out his constant chatter. If it weren't for her injury, she would be an apprentice too; she would be babbling nonsense of her own to Kitepaw about how her mentor taught her how to stalk birds.

An unexpected wave of sadness washed over her as she realised she would never be able to have that life, a life where she could ramble to her kin about her day; where she could train for battle without feeling fear grip her pelt, pulling her back into her memories. She didn't even realise that Sugarleaf had pushed Kitepaw out of the den until she heard his voice calling out to say good-bye.

Sugarleaf sat down in front of Swallowkit, staring down at her passively as she swished her tail over her paws neatly. Swallowkit felt slightly uneasy under her forest gaze. She always felt like Sugarleaf didn't like her, but was too polite to say anything about it, so it took her by surprise when the medicine cat said:

"Swallowkit, would you like to be my apprentice?"

* * *

Swallowpaw trudged irritably through mud beside Sugarleaf, her mentor trotting confidently behind their leader. Softstar was padding quickly onward, her pelt shimmering almost silver underneath the full moon's glow. The Clan had been afraid that the recent bought of Leaf-fall rain would leave too many clouds scattered in the sky for a Gathering, but instead it just left wet dirt all over Swallowpaw's white paws. She'd complain to StarClan and back if she could, but instead she just walked on – quietly seething. Any excitement for her first Gathering was washed away by the muddy rain water that she padded in.

Suddenly, Swallowpaw slammed into her mentor, which caused Sugarleaf to hiss in response. The blue and white apprentice saw that Softstar had lifted her tail to signal to stop, and Swallowpaw drew in a breath. _The lake! _She thought, staring ahead with awe. Forgetting about her soiled paws, she took in her surroundings: the pebbly shore, the dark expanse of water that shined with stars, and the distant chatter of cats as another Clan climbed across the tree bridge. Swallowpaw wrinkled her nose as the scent of ShadowClan washed over her with the breeze; she recognised it from her tour of the borders with Sugarleaf.

Sugarleaf had been non-stop with training, if there weren't any herbs to collect there were herbs to sort, or bedding to be cleaned. Sometimes it felt like Sugarleaf enjoyed making her apprentice suffer, and it didn't help that Swallowpaw couldn't even speak enough to name herbs. Although she could just barely wheeze out some sounds, she was too afraid to try and really speak again. What if she sounded awful? What if people judged her for the way she spoke? She could barely say anything anyway, so why try? It was much easier to stay silent and take Sugarleaf's frustrations.

When ShadowClan had safely crossed to the other side, SkyClan's deputy – Maplescar – pushed Swallowpaw forward as a signal for her to follow her mentor across. Swallowpaw felt dread settle in her fur as she stared down at the churning black water, and pictured a scene where she fell in and couldn't cry out for help. Then, she watched as Kitepaw leaped up and expertly trotted across, puffing his chest out proudly as he did so. His denmate, Spotpaw, watched him go with admiration in her eyes; it was no secret that the white and black apprentice was smitten with Swallowpaw's brother, though the reason why alluded the medicine cat apprentice. _He's such a show off…_

Flicking her tail with annoyance, Swallowpaw refused to be out-done by her brother at her very first Gathering. Lifting her head up high, she jumped onto the tree bridge and dug her claws in. She took a few heart beats to calm her breathing, gripping tighter as a cat nudged her.

"Get a move on, before the light of the moon is gone completely!" Hissed Patchthroat, an older warrior, who was waiting behind her. Swallowpaw longed to rake her claws across his ear, but she knew the punishment for lashing at a senior warrior wasn't worth it; even if it _would_ be immensely satisfying. Swallowpaw gathered her courage and made her way across, willing herself not to look down as she went. She suppressed a shiver of relief as her paws hit the solid ground of the island on the other side, and padded on feeling more confident as Sugarleaf lead her into the Gathering.

Pushing her way through bushes eagerly, Swallowpaw felt her forgotten excitement well up again. She burst out into the Gathering clearing, and sucked in a sharp breath. Many different Clan scents overwhelmed her, some she didn't recognise yet. She could pick out the scent of ShadowClan easily, and watched as an imposing white and grey ShadowClan tom padded up to a plump brown she-cat. The she-cat smelled strange, her pelt carrying the scent of water. _RiverClan._ Both cats walked off towards a group of lithe and skinny looking cats. _WindClan._

Swallowpaw noticed that the only other Clan scent she could recognise, ThunderClan, were missing.

"Typical ThunderClan, making everyone wait because they believe they're so important." She heard a cat spit, and turned to see a black and white ShadowClan tom scowling as he spoke to a speckled white WindClan queen. The queen murmured her agreement, their heads pressed together as they complained about the absent Clan.

"That's Pigeonpath! He's a grumpy old cat!" someone meowed right next to Swallowpaw's ear. The medicine cat apprentice almost jumped out of her fur, turning to see a black and orange flecked apprentice staring at her with wide eyes. Standing just behind stood a long-limbed ginger tom, shooting Swallowpaw an apologetic glance. They smelled of ShadowClan, and they looked no older than Swallowpaw.

"My name's Emberpaw, and the cat behind me is my brother Rookpaw," explained the ShadowClan she-cat, "and this is our first Gathering! What's your name? Is this your first Gathering too?" Emberpaw asked, not giving Swallowpaw any chance to react before she thrust her face towards Swallowpaw's throat.

"Wow!" Emberpaw exclaimed, loudly, "look how _big_ those scars are! Something awful must have happened to you!" Swallowpaw felt her chest tighten and she wished she was anywhere else at that moment. She felt suddenly self-conscious, and looked around for Sugarleaf, so she could save her from this situation. Swallowpaw saw the ginger tom nudge Emberpaw, giving her a stern look. Emberpaw looked confused for a moment, before realisation seemed to dawn on her.

"Oh! I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I have a big scar too, see?" Emberpaw said cheerily, pointing to the parted fur above her nose. Swallowpaw nodded, feeling her paws itch to get anyway from the two ShadowClan cats. She looked over, locking eyes with Rookpaw; he simply stared at her for a moment before looking down at his paws. Could he not speak either?

"Hey!" Squeaked Emberpaw, snapping Swallowpaw back to reality, "you never said what your name is." The question made Swallowpaw want to sink into the earth even more than she previously did, and she felt her heart beat faster as Emberpaw gazed at her with eager eyes. Swallowpaw opened and closed her mouth, drawing in a deep breath to calm herself.

"S…" she forced out the sound, her voice no more than a whisper, "Sw-Swa…" She paused, and she felt as though her throat was closing. It felt tight, and it stung ever so slightly – it was as though it was angry at her for trying to use it again after so long. _I can't do this, it's too much. _Swallowpaw thought to herself, panicking. The black and orange apprentice was still staring at her expectantly, but Swallowpaw just could not speak anymore.

"Swallow? Like the bird?" Rookpaw asked, piping up from behind his sister. Swallowpaw gave him an appreciative glance, nodding her head as she willed her heart rate to slow down. Emberpaw let out an excited little squeak.

"Swallowpaw is such a pretty name! I should've guessed, you look just like a swallow!" She meowed, the words tumbling quickly from her mouth. Swallowpaw felt envy well up inside her, feeling bitter that this ShadowClan apprentice could speak so freely and easily all the time while she couldn't even say her own name. Rookpaw took a few steps forward, putting himself slightly in front of his sister, who let out an annoyed 'hey!' in response. He looked sympathetic, his amber eyes soft.

"Can you speak?" Rookpaw asked, keeping his voice quiet. Swallowpaw shook her head gently, looking down at her paws as a strange feeling of shame washed over her. It wasn't the first time since her injury that she felt like something was wrong with her, that she felt _broken_, but it felt much more obvious when surrounded by so many other cats. Swallowpaw felt like she was realising how truly different from everybody else she was, and it made her feel awful.

"Wow, you can't talk? Is it because of those massive scars?" Emberpaw asked, innocently. Swallowpaw pulled her chin towards her throat in an effort to conceal those very scars, feeling her eyes and pelt burn. Rookpaw shot another firm look at his sister, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Rookpaw hardly ever talks either. You guys should be mates one day; you'd be perfect for each other! Oh, then you could move to ShadowClan – it's the best Clan!" She said, looking proud. Rookpaw shoved her a little harder this time, and she gave him an indignant look.

"What? It's not like it's forbidden anymore!"

"That's not the point." Rookpaw hissed back at his sister, and Swallowpaw's pelt felt hot for an entirely different reason now. Swallowpaw felt almost overwhelmed with relief when she saw Sugarleaf padding towards the three of them, silently thanking StarClan for rescuing her from her current situation. Sugarleaf looked over at the ShadowClan cats with indifference, before flicking her tail towards a group of cats sitting at the base of the giant tree.

"ThunderClan has just arrived, and I'd like to introduce you to the other medicine cats before the Gathering officially starts. Say good-bye to these apprentices and get a move on." The pale she-cat meowed, flatly. Swallowpaw dipped her head to Rookpaw and Emberpaw respectfully, flicking her tail in farewell mainly to Rookpaw as she padded away with her mentor. She tried desperately not to listen when she heard Emberpaw start loudly whispering to her brother, but failed.

"Wow, a medicine cat who can't even speak! That's so weird; she can't even ask cats what's wrong with them." Came the apprentice's voice, fading a little as Swallowpaw walked further away. The medicine cat in training still heard, however, and now felt more dejected than she ever had in her life.

It was going to be a very long night.


	5. Chapter Three (part two)

Chapter Three (part two):

Dragging her paws across the ground, Swallowpaw kept her gaze low as her mentor lead her confidently towards the other medicine cats. The little apprentice couldn't stop thinking about Emberpaw's parting words, about how much they hurt. She tried to tell herself that the ShadowClan she-cat didn't mean it, that she was just painfully naïve, but that didn't make it sting any less.

Swallowpaw scrabbled to a halt when Sugarleaf stopped in front of her, peering over the dappled cat's shoulder to take in all the other cats. Swallowpaw took a moment to feel slightly irritated at how Sugarleaf always stopped in front of her with no warning, before scanning her amber gaze across the row of medicine cats. Breathing in, their different Clan scents all mingled together, yet the distinct smell of herbs floated above them all. Swallowpaw felt suddenly intimidated as she met the eyes of tall, older looking she-cat. The mottled brown medicine cat held her head high, and Swallowpaw averted her gaze out of fear of being seen as disrespectful.

"Swallowpaw, this is Silentfrost," Sugarleaf spoke up, nodding her head to a light grey tom, "and his apprentice, Blossompaw." She added, now nodding to the rose and white-coloured she-cat next to the tom. Blossompaw looked about as old as a warrior, and she blinked encouragingly at Swallowpaw. Swallowpaw let out a breath of relief, returning the small blink gratefully. Silentfrost, however, looked much less welcoming than his apprentice. He stared at Sugarleaf coldly, and she stared back just as icily.

"We're the ThunderClan medicine cats." Stated Silentfrost, coolly, as tension crackled in the air for a few awkward heartbeats. After what felt like moons to Swallowpaw, Sugarleaf turned towards two new cats.

"Sneezescar and his apprentice Jaypaw." Sugarleaf meowed, nodding curtly to the older black tom – Swallowpaw assumed that was Sneezescar. The older medicine cat returned the nod briskly, while Jaypaw dipped his head politely. Sneezescar's apprentice seemed to be attempting to hide excitement, as his tail flicked back and forth impatiently. The pale grey tom looked much closer to Swallowpaw's age, and she felt better knowing she wouldn't be alone in her training.

"Pinebush, the ShadowClan medicine cat," Sugarleaf continued, her green eyes finally softening slightly, "good to see you again, Pinebush." She mewed, sounding happier. Swallowpaw tilted her head, wondering when the last time Sugarleaf sounded happy was. Her mentor always seemed distant or irritated, and Swallowpaw believed that to be the only emotions Sugarleaf felt. _Strange… _The white-pawed apprentice thought to herself, before shrugging the thought away. Sugarleaf's brighter tone continued when she looked towards the last two cats. Swallowpaw blinked a few times as she saw them, as both cats looked almost identical. They were both long-limbed and sleek-looking, with bark-brown pelts and watchful yellow eyes. The only difference was one was a she-cat and speckled, and the other was a tabby tom.

"Twigheart, good to see you again!" Sugarleaf greeted the she-cat in a friendly manner.

"It's good to see you too, Sugarleaf, and your new apprentice." Twigheart added, dipping her head to Swallowpaw.

"Copperstep, how's that old paw of yours? You weren't at the last gathering." Sugarleaf said, a question in her mew. Copperstep flicked his ear, looking much less light-hearted than Swallowpaw's mentor.

"My paw is fine, Sugarleaf," he responded neutrally, "and I was at camp with Wishripple, looking after our new kits."

"Oh? I see." Sugarleaf meowed shortly, her gaze becoming guarded once again. The new, happy Sugarleaf that Swallowpaw only just got to meet now seemed to evaporate instantly. _Did Copperstep say something wrong?_ Swallowpaw wanted to ask, but even if she could she knew she shouldn't; she didn't need Sugarleaf snapping at her. Speaking of Sugarleaf, her mentor waved her tail at to point at Swallowpaw.

"This is Swallowpaw, my new apprentice. She started her training less than a moon ago."

"Can't your apprentice introduce herself?" Silentfrost asked, a sneer in his voice. Swallowpaw looked down to avoid glaring at the ThunderClan medicine cat, but that didn't stop the anger boiling in her blood.

"Swallowpaw can't speak due to an injury she received as a kit, caused by _your _old deputy!" Sugarleaf spat back, her tail lashing. Silentfrost sprang up, his eyes blazing.

"Prickleclaw's actions were his own and have nothing to do with me or ThunderClan! Maybe if you were a better healer, your apprentice wouldn't be mute!" He hissed, venom dripping from every word he spoke. Swallowpaw shut her eyes tight against the fear that the name brought on, and against the shame that washed over her. What kind of apprentice was she? She couldn't even stand up for herself or her mentor. Luckily, Swallowpaw didn't need to – Blossompaw stepped between the two fighting medicine cats.

"This is a time of peace, Silentfrost; please can we not fight with the other Clans?" The gentle apprentice pleaded with her mentor. Silentfrost said nothing, but sat back down with a huff. Sugarleaf flicked her tail and stalked away, sitting herself down between Pinebush and Jaypaw. The sandy coloured she-cat motioned for Swallowpaw to do the same, so the young apprentice sat down gingerly beside Jaypaw. The WindClan tom gave Swallowpaw a sympathetic glance, and opened his mouth to say something before a yowl from the great tree interrupted him. The Gathering was starting!

Looking up, Swallowpaw could see that Softstar sat on a lower branch. Opposite to her was a white-specked black tom, and above him were a plump, short-tailed brown tom and a thin black and white she-cat. Above them both, on one of the highest branches, was a skinny, stone-faced dark brown tabby. His eyes were heather-blue and icy, nothing but coolness in their depths. Swallowpaw almost shrank away, feeling her pelt crawl. _Who is that?_ She longed to ask.

"The Gathering shall now commence!" The tabby's voice rang out, strong and certain. Swallowpaw wondered which Clan he led. Sugarleaf had never really elaborated on what each leader was like or looked like, presumably because Swallowpaw had never been able to ask; her mentor wasn't exactly chatty. _Not with me, anyway. _Swallowpaw thought bitterly, remembering how open the older medicine cat had been only a few moments earlier. The apprentice scowled slightly, averting her gaze so she didn't accidentally glare at one of the leaders in the tree. She looked back up to see the dappled tom push himself onto his paws and lift his head, directing his voice to the tabby tom.

"I'd like to go first if that's okay, Loststar." He mewed respectfully, though a glimmer of dislike shone in his eyes. _Loststar? That tabby must be ThunderClan's leader! _Swallowpaw and her brother had heard nursery tales of how cold and violent Loststar and his Clan were, and Swallowpaw had her own experience with ThunderClan's brutality. Loststar lived up to his reputation, as the look he gave the tom below him was enough to send shivers up Swallowpaw's spine. The ThunderClan leader simply nodded, however, and sat back.

"Thank you." The black tom said with a dip of his head. Turning to face the gathering, he spoke again. "Prey is running well in ShadowClan despite the chill that's settling in, and we have two new apprentices: Emberpaw and Rookpaw!" _That must be Dappledstar. _Swallowpaw thought, recalling the name. ShadowClan broke out into cheerful yowls of the apprentice's names. She noticed that the rival Clan seemed to be cheering Rookpaw's name much louder than Emberpaw's. Did her own Clan find her annoying? Swallowpaw forgot her earlier anger towards the black and ginger cat, instead feeling a stab of sympathy, and guilt. Wasn't Swallowpaw doing the same thing when she met them, being friendlier with Rookpaw than with Emberpaw? _But remember what she said about you? _Whispered a little voice in her head, and Swallowpaw shook the ShadowClan apprentices out of her head. She'd probably never speak them again, anyway.

The ShadowClan leader finished speaking and sat back down, flicking his tail up at the short-tailed tom to speak. Swallowpaw took the time to wonder what happened to his tail, turning her head to ask Jaypaw if he knew. _Oh, right. _She remembered with an irritated flick of her ear, gritting her teeth.

"Thank you, Dappledstar." The brown leader spoke, his voice full of genuine warmth. "RiverClan is thriving; Wishripple has given birth to three healthy kits." Swallowpaw noticed how Copperstep seemed to unconsciously hold his head higher as the news was announced. Sugarleaf had also noticed, and Swallowpaw felt her mentor's muscles tense under her now bristling fur. Swallowpaw couldn't quite understand why the mention of Copperstep's kits seemed to bother Sugarleaf so much.

"Healthy? Sneezescar told me that Wishripple's litter almost didn't make it past their second moon!" Jaypaw whispered incredulously, his voice just loud enough for him to receive a glare from both Sneezescar and Copperstep. _They're older than two moons already? Perhaps RiverClan didn't want to announce their birth until they were sure the kits would make it. _Swallowpaw concluded to herself. The medicine cat apprentice tuned back in to hear the RiverClan leader continue.

"We've had an increase in loners and rogues at our borders," his gaze clouded with a dark emotion for a brief moment, "but it's nothing that we can't handle. RiverClan's borders are as strong as always." He added in a pointed tone, though Swallowpaw couldn't tell who it was pointed at.

"I'm sure they are, Reedstar." The black and white she-cat responded, her voice soothing in a way that made Reedstar slide his claws into the bark beneath him.

"Thank you for your encouragement, _Minnowstar._" He replied through gritted teeth, his whiskers twitching. The warriors of both WindClan and RiverClan shifted awkwardly. Swallowpaw tipped her head in confusion; Minnowstar didn't exactly sound like a WindClan name. While Reedstar quietly stared at his paws, Minnowstar took charge. She held herself with an air of grace, yellow eyes gleaming.

"We spotted dogs sniffing around our territory, but a group of warriors led by Violetcloud drove them off." WindClan let out yowls as triumph, and Swallowpaw saw a light grey she-cat looking embarrassed. Minnowstar raised her tail for silence. "I'm also proud to say that Jaypaw is now our next medicine cat apprentice!" Happiness tinged her tone, and Jaypaw gave his chest fur a few licks. He turned to Swallowpaw to whisper something to her

"Minnowstar is my mother." Jaypaw meowed, almost arrogantly, as though he thought that made him even more special. Swallowpaw suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at him, merely giving him a flick of her tail to acknowledge that she heard him. He reminded her of Kitepaw.

"That's all the news I have to report." The WindClan leader finished, sitting down and wrapping her tail neatly over her paws. At this, Loststar opened his mouth as if to speak.

"_I'm _going next." Softstar meowed upwards to Loststar, giving the skinny tom a challenging look. Loststar didn't react, but Swallowpaw saw his tail twitch. Softstar shook out her fluffy pelt and began to address the gathered Clans.

"SkyClan has never been stronger than we are now." Swallowpaw's leader meowed, and she knew that Softstar was daring anyone to say otherwise. "We also have a new medicine cat apprentice - Swallowpaw." Every eye in the Clans turned to stare, and Swallowpaw felt her pelt burn as some of them began talking amongst themselves in hushed tones. Even Sugarleaf looked faintly embarrassed, making Swallowpaw wish she could sink into the ground and not come back out. Did everyone she met have to whisper and stare? A bolt of fury gave her courage, and she glared defiantly ahead of her. Softstar ignored the murmurs, and kept going with her report.

"We're still recovering from the _unprovoked _attack on our camp a few moons ago," Swallowpaw winced, "but rest assured, we've come out of it better than we were before." Softstar's ears twitched at the sound of outraged hisses from ThunderClan, but she simply licked her paw and swiped it over her ear as though she hadn't heard. At last, Loststar stepped forward, his eyes glistening with rage but his demeanour never wavering.

"Our prey is running well, and I'm pleased to tell you all that Sparrowpaw has now become Sparrowtail." His voice echoed, warriors of all Clans but SkyClan cheering the new warrior's name. _He must be very popular. _Loststar waited calmly for the noise to die down before continuing. "We have more warriors than we've had in a long time, and more on the way; my mate Yellowfern is expecting our kits!" The leader yowled, a small amount of emotion shining through. What surprised Swallowpaw was the look of blazing anger that flashed in Softstar's gaze, the grey she-cat digging her claws deep into the bark of the branch where she sat. Could it perhaps be the fact that SkyClan had no new kits to speak of?

"That will be all, the Gathering Is now over." Loststar said with a dismissive wave of his tail, making his way gracefully back down to the ground. Jaypaw stood up with a huge yawn and a stretch, his green eyes shining in the moonlight.

"That was much more boring than I thought it would be!" The WindClan tom meowed through his yawn, letting out a hiss of protest when Sneezescar gave him a quick cuff over the ear. Sugarleaf was already on her paws and moving towards where Softstar was assembling the Clan to leave. Swallowpaw scanned the crowd for Rookpaw, to perhaps find a way to thank him for earlier, but his ginger shape was lost in the sea of cats on the island. Shrugging off the disappointment she felt, she padded after her Clan as they began to make their exit. She noticed Willowberry, a cat who had helped nurse her when she was still just a kit, was stalking away ahead of the group. _What's wrong? _She wanted to catch up with her and ask, but instead Swallowpaw stuck obediently at her mentor's side.

Her first Gathering was supposed to be special, a time of peace to make new friends, so why was everyone so hostile? Swallowpaw felt so dejected, and the feeling followed her all the way back to camp as she climbed into her nest.


	6. Chapter Four

Chapter Four:

As Loststar called the Gathering to a close, Willowberry watched as he yowled over to his deputy Riverwish. The blue she-cat set off to gather all of the ThunderClan warriors together, seeming rather subdued. Willowberry realised that her tail was flicking unconsciously, and she tore her gaze away from the enemy Clan and stood up, arching her back in a stretch. The light brown warrior spotted her sister Sweetheart and turned with the intention of speaking to her when she saw that Maplescar was listening to Sweetheart's nervous chatter with a solemn expression on his face. Willowberry's heart twisted harshly in her chest and she immediately averted her gaze; she didn't want to face him just yet. Everything was still too fresh.

"Is something wrong, Willowberry?" Some cat asked in a soft tone. Startled, Willowberry looked over her shoulder to see Silverwater's small, plump grey form standing behind her. Concern glittered in her friend's eyes, as obvious as stars in a pool. Forcing a positive tone, Willowberry flicked the other queen over the ear good-naturedly.

"I'm fine, Silverwater. Don't worry about me so much!" Silverwater looked doubtful, but hesitantly nodded her head and began to pad towards the rest of the Clan. As she watched her friend go, Willowberry felt her heart slowly sink back down to her paws. She wished she could pour it all out to the silver she-cat, to one of the few cats she knew would understand, but she couldn't. Absentmindedly, she let her paws carry her over to where Softstar was preparing to lead SkyClan back home. She noted how Silverwater seemed to deliberately hover at the edge of their Clanmates, and allowed curiosity to block out all the other things she was feeling. Willowberry had almost reached her Clan when another voice called out, stopping her.

"Hey, wait!" The voice meowed urgently, and Willowberry spun around to face an unfamiliar tom, a ginger tabby. He reeked of ThunderClan scent, causing her to curl her lip in the beginnings of a snarl. The tom recognised this and took a quick step back. He lowered his head slightly as if to say that he wasn't looking for a fight, but Willowberry still felt uneasy. She knew that ThunderClan weren't always above breaking the full moon truce.

"I'm not here to fight with you, I swear!" he explained earnestly, "I just saw you and I wanted to ask how you were-"

"Why is it any of your business how I am?" Willowberry cut him off, feeling her tail start to flick again. _Why does a warrior I've never met before care about how I'm feeling? _She thought to herself angrily, but instead she chose to say: "ThunderClan is always meddling in other cat's lives! Leave me alone." She spat, sounding more harsh than intended. The ginger tom looked genuinely hurt by her remark, and the young she-cat spun back around and stalked off before she had the chance to feel guilty about it. Brushing past her Clanmates with little care, Patchthroat let out a small hiss when she accidentally shoved him to the side. Now she did feel guilty about that, and she murmured an apology to the tabby warrior. Patchthroat let out a small sigh, but touched his nose to her ear affectionately. Willowberry felt the coil around her heart loosen, slowing her pace to walk with her Clan rather than rushing ahead. Spotting Silverwater now that she'd taken the time to look around, Willowberry suddenly remembered her questions from earlier.

Silverwater looked vaguely delighted when she saw Willowberry approaching, and the two queens walked together after making their way across the tree bridge. Staring at the pebbles beneath her pads, Willowberry didn't quite feel like breaking the silence that wreathed around them both, but she could see the way her friend's tail and head drooped with disappointment and knew that staying quiet wasn't an option.

"Is something wrong, Silverwater?" Willowberry asked, mirroring the silver cat's tone from before. Silverwater opened her mouth to reply and closed it again, reconsidering her answer. Willowberry blinked at her encouragingly, and slowed so they were behind the rest of SkyClan. Silverwater looked out towards the lake as they turned away from it, and then looked down at the ground.

"I'm just…" she began, "I'm just finding it hard to adjust." Silverwater paused for a few heartbeats, and Willowberry took that time to push back the wave of sorrow that was threatening to crash over her. Silverwater needed her right now. The other warrior continued. "Kitepaw seems as cheerful as ever, and Flameburst has been so supportive, but Swallowpaw…"

"Are you worried about her?" Willowberry inquired gently. Silverwater nodded slowly.

"She's given up trying to speak again, and now she treats me as if I were a ghost," the queen meowed, looking as if she might wail, "I didn't think my own daughter would pretend I didn't exist! Have I failed her so badly?" Silverwater asked despairingly. Willowberry felt a pang of sympathy for her, placing her tail tip comfortingly on the grey cat's shoulder.

"You tried your best, Silverwater, but Swallowpaw needs time. She's probably finding things just as hard as you." Silverwater didn't look fully convinced, but her eyes brightened with hope. It was clear how much she cared about both her kits, and how much it pained her for one of them to ignore her so openly. Even after almost three moons, things hadn't come close to feeling normal again. Every time she thought about it, Willowberry's chest felt like it was collapsing in on itself. Her Clanmates would stare at her with such obvious pity in their eyes that it made her feel worse. She found it easier to just wave them away rather than answer their endless questions, and she knew that Silverwater was beginning to feel the same. Wanting to change the subject, Willowberry tried to be more positive.

"Are you and Flameburst excited?"

"We're trying to be, it was just very unexpected." Silverwater responded in a happier tone.

"How much longer?"

"Sugarleaf reckons that I've got another moon, but you know that kits come when they want to." Willowberry nodded thoughtfully. She hoped that Silverwater's second kitting was easier than her first, remembering how hard it was for her friend after starting her kitting too soon. She'd lost Songkit first; the fragile little she-kit had barely taken her first breath before she left to join StarClan. Her fourth kit, Pigeonkit, had met the same fate soon after. She wondered if Silverwater had ever gotten over the memory of losing the kits she never really got to meet, and knew in her heart that the other queen would never stop grieving over them – over the cats they could've been.

"Hey, you two, you're gonna get left behind!" A teasing mew broke through the sombre mood, and Willowberry saw Rainfall staring at them with mischief in her eyes. Orangesplash was waiting with her, but he was busy hissing at both Kitepaw and Spotpaw as the apprentices scuffled playfully together. Silverwater broke out into a purr and increased her stride, with Willowberry following suit. The silver queen called Kitepaw to her side, and mother and son touched noses tenderly. Willowberry felt a pang through her heart. A nudge to her side broke through to her.

"You look as though you found a thorn in your nest." Rainfall meowed playfully, and Willowberry shook out her fur.

"I'm fine, I'm just thinking about how much tension there was at the Gathering." She responded with a half-truth. Even neutral leaders such as Minnowstar had been out to get under some cat's skin. Rainfall gave a little nod, more calm than usual.

"There seems to be a lot of tension everywhere recently." Rainfall murmured in a pointed tone, making Willowberry cringe internally. She knew the cream warrior was referring to Maplescar and Sweetheart, and the thought pained her. She could see them both at the front of the group, pelts brushing. Willowberry knew her sister had no ill intentions, but it hurt none the less. Would they ever be close the way they used to be?

"How're Orangesplash, Barkpaw and Seedpaw?" Willowberry deflected the unspoken question, and Rainfall seemed to let it go. Orangesplash was still trying to wrangle Kitepaw and Spotpaw, while Silverwater walked on with a glow in her eyes.

"Seedpaw's training is coming along nicely, Flameburst and I discuss her apprenticeship regularly." Rainfall puffed her chest with pride. "Though I'm worried Barkpaw's mentor might not train him properly…" The she-cat added, so quiet that Willowberry barely heard it. Willowberry knew how happy both cats had been when they'd gotten each other's kits to train, though she thought that both were a tad too involved in their own kits' apprenticeships. Kitepaw and Seedpaw seemed to be progressing well despite their parent's hovering; they reminded her of her and her sister when they were young. Willowberry recalled her own apprenticeship under Silverwater with fondness, how simple things had been.

"_Wake up, Willowpaw! Sorrelpatch says that we can start battle training today!" Sweetpaw meowed excitedly, throwing herself atop her sleeping sister. Willowpaw heaved her off with a huff, yawning as she blinked her eyes open. She could see Sweetpaw's amber eyes blazing like fire with anticipation, and struggled to feel the same enthusiasm. _

"_Battling is a dangerous thing, Sweetpaw; you should take it more seriously." Willowpaw said in a much less light-hearted tone. Sweetpaw simply rolled her eyes, the dark brown she-cat giving Willowpaw another shove. _

"_I couldn't agree more, Willowpaw." Came Sorrelpatch's stern voice as he stood at the entrance to the apprentice's den. He gave Sweetpaw a stony look but she simply brushed it off and bounded her way toward her mentor. Sometimes Willowpaw wondered how her sister stayed so overwhelmingly positive all the time. Sorrelpatch tried to keep his hard expression but couldn't resist a _mrrow_ of laughter at Sweetpaw's excited bounces. Willowpaw couldn't either, and felt her spirits lift. Silverwater appeared behind them and waved her tail as a signal they should be going. Sorrelpatch set off after the grey warrior, Sweetpaw not far behind._

_Willowpaw hesitated outside of the apprentice den, suddenly unsure of herself. Luckily, Sweetpaw turned her and gave her an encouraging nod, and then Willowpaw felt no doubt. She padded up to her sister and gave her a light cuff over the ears, and the two of them set off after their mentors side by side, their pelts brushing._

"Orangesplash is doing great; he says that Spotpaw is coping very well after all that's happened." Rainfall's comment interrupted Willowberry's bittersweet memories.

"It's good that Spotpaw's recovering so quickly." Willowberry responded absently. Rainfall gave her a sideways glance, blue eyes glinting.

"He's also been talking to Maplescar more and more, helping him through it all." The she-cat meowed in a deliberately questioning tone.

"It's nice that they're building their relationship back up again." Willowberry once again deflected, turning her head away. Fighting back a wave of emotion, she almost didn't hear Rainfall's uncharacteristic sigh of defeat.

"Look, Willowberry, I know that you're not alright-" Rainfall began, but she was cut off as the SkyClan camp came into view. Willowberry felt almost weak with relief and mewed a quick goodbye to her friend, bounding past Silverwater and then past Smallpool, who was guarding the camp's entrance. The black she-cat gave her a curious look, but Willowberry ignored it and stalked into camp and toward the warrior's den. When she finally was able to collapse into her nest, she let out a loud, deep sigh. Larkwhisker, the only warrior still awake, gave her a small glare before laying her head down next to Acorngrass in their shared nest. Frozenfoot kicked out in his sleep, eliciting a hiss from Tinyfeather as his paw connected with her head. The white tom muttered a sleepy apology before it all went quiet again

Willowberry relished the peace that washed over her as her Clanmates soft snores and deep breaths wreathed around her. She settled down and closed her eyes for a moment, before it was all ruined as Orangesplash came blundering in. Rainfall came in just after, looking much too energetic for the time of night. They curled up in their nest together, making hushed conversation with Larkwhisker. Rainfall was much too loud, however, and had caused everyone else to stir. Frozenfoot blinked blearily awake, not immediately registering what was going on. Silverwater came in next, touching noses with Flameburst as the ginger tom was roused from his rest.

"Can you believe what Minnowstar said? Reedstar looked about ready to claw her ears off!" Gossiped Rainfall, making Willowberry growl with frustration. She didn't notice the pawsteps approaching her as she did so.

"Are you okay, Willowberry?" The question was asked softly, hesitant and hopeful. "I could sleep next to you if you want-" Willowberry snapped her eyes open.

"I'm _fine_!" She hissed through gritted teeth, recognising the voice a heartbeat too late as she looked up to see her sister's shocked gaze staring down at her. Willowberry instantly felt horrified, but her mouth went dry and the apology died on her tongue as she saw Sweetheart deflate. The brown warrior turned around and walked the opposite direction towards her nest at the edge of the den, tail dragging along the floor. She saw Sweetheart brighten as Maplescar walked in, and then sink again as he continued on straight past towards Frozenfoot. Sweetheart rolled over so she was facing away from every cat, and Willowberry felt the sharpest claw slice her heart in two. Patchthroat circled around in his nest before settling down, giving Willowberry's ear a soothing lick.

"Try not to worry." He simply murmured before closing his eyes. Willowberry tucked her paws underneath her as, gradually, snores and breaths filled the den once more. Fidgeting in her nest, Willowberry pressed herself into Patchthroat's comforting warmth. She let her eyes slowly slide shut, exhaustion creeping over her as she began to dream.

_Willowberry stood, confused, at the edge of a frozen stream. On the other side was a tall, imposing willow tree. The roots were gnarled and stretched outwards, as though reaching for something._

"_Hello?" The light brown she-cat called out into the night, feeling an unexpected shiver down her spine as her mew simply echoed back to her. Tentatively, she pressed her front paw down on the ice and let out a breath when she found it was thick enough to carry her weight. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen ice so thick; it barely even creaked under her. As she stepped carefully to the other side, her ear twitched as a delighted mew reached her. Willowberry looked around wildly, but saw no one._

"_Hello?!" She called out once again, searching in an increasingly frantic manner for a cat or a way out. The meow sounded again, and Willowberry looked back to see the figure of a cat running around happy next to the tree. She couldn't make out who the cat was, as the tree cast such a dark shadow over them. Willowberry felt relief and turned to ask them where she was, but was paralysed when one of the roots began reaching out towards the cat. It wrapped itself around the cat's leg and yanked them to the ground._

"_No!" Willowberry cried, finding her voice. Her paws pounded on the ground as she rushed towards the figure, but she felt like she was moving in slow motion. The roots were unrelenting, ignoring the cries for help as they dragged the cat into darkness between them. Disappearing into the shadows, one final desperate plea could be heard._

"_Don't leave me!"_

Jolting awake, Willowberry felt her heart fluttering in her chest like a bird. The warriors den was still mostly silent, but she could just barely see the faintest light of dawn shining outside. Willowberry felt like she had barely slept at all, and her limbs ached as she stood up and slowly made her way out of the den. She sat herself down just next to the entrance, fluffing her fur out against the late leaf-fall chill. She thought she could see Softstar shifting within the depths of her den inside the Tallrock, but it was still too dark to tell. Yowls of despair echoed in her ears, and she shook her head to dispel them. She wondered how much longer she would hear them, and her tail began to twitch.

"Willowberry?" A cat whispered, and Willowberry looked over to see Sweetheart hesitating between staying in or leaving the den. Her sister looked wide-eyed and anxious, and Willowberry swallowed her guilt and blinked encouragingly. Sweetheart seemed to melt with relief and sat down beside her. Neither sibling knew what to say to each other, the sun seemingly take an eternity to creep any higher into the sky.

"How's your recovery been?" Willowberry asked, trying to break the tension. Sweetheart's muscles relaxed.

"I've been fine, glad to finally be out of Sugarleaf's den! Poor Swallowpaw, having to spend every day in there." The dark brown cat mewed with a dose of her old bubbliness. Willowberry let out a small huff of laughter, feeling much lighter.

"I know! Sometimes Sugarleaf can be as prickly as a thorn bush. Remember how she'd hiss at us when we were kits?" Willowberry lowered her voice mischievously, as though Sugarleaf would hear them from where she slept in the medicine den. Sweetheart's eyes gleamed.

"She had good reason to! We were always getting into her herb store." Her sister said with a _mrrow_.

"She always took the time to play with us when Sparrowleap was busy, though." Willowberry responded in a more wistful tone, and Sweetheart's gaze clouded.

"I wish things could still be that way…" Sweetheart paused for a moment, "do you still think about it?" The question was delicate, a gentle murmur. Willowberry met her sister's gaze, and the warm pools of amber made her feel compelled to answer with the truth.

"I miss them all so much that sometimes it's hard to breathe." She whispered, closing her eyes with pain. The memory of sitting vigil for her two precious kits wasn't one she ever liked to dwell on, and the thought filled her with sadness and a searing anger. "It's not fair!" She found herself hissing out loud. Gently, Sweetheart pressed against her as a gesture of comfort, nuzzling her cheek. Willowberry tried to calm her breathing while focusing on the sharp contrast of Sweetheart's warm fur to the biting morning air. But rage still clouded her brain, and she almost didn't hear Sweetheart's response over the blood pounding in her ears.

"I'm sorry, Willowberry. Things have been hard the past few moons, I've been feeling the same way-"Willowberry cut her sister off with a hiss. She found that she couldn't stop the words that were tumbling from her mouth.

"You don't know how I feel! I lost my kits, how could _you _of all cats _ever _understand what that's like?" She spat venomously, tearing herself away and facing the fellow warrior with a snarl. Sweetheart flinched back as though she'd been struck by a blow. Her eyes became misty and her ears flattened against her head.

"No, I guess I can't." Sweetheart rasped, whirling around and stalking back into the warriors den. Willowberry's fury dissipated faster than a rabbit on the moor, and she glanced up helplessly towards the fading stars. _What would you do, father? _She prayed, knowing she wouldn't ever receive an answer. _Would our family be whole if you were here?_ Shaking her head with a sigh, the brown and white she-cat waved her tail at Smallpool, who was now leaving her guard post.

"I feel sorry for whoever's on guard tomorrow." The black she-cat grumbled with a shiver. Willowberry rolled her eyes playfully, swallowing her feelings of guilt, and followed the warrior back into their den. Rainfall was now up and quietly washing her ears, always one of the first to wake up in the morning. The cream she-cat gave Willowberry a happy twitch of her whiskers. Willowberry gave her friend a little nod, but couldn't help glancing to the side at Sweetheart's nest. A strange feeling jolted through her stomach when she saw that Maplescar was now curled up with her sister, whispering words in a tone that sounded unusually soft. The russet tom glanced up, and his eyes glinted coldly as they met hers. The next heartbeat seemed to stretch for ages, and it felt like moons had passed when Maplescar tore his gaze away to look down at Sweetheart again.

"I'm going to go organise the first patrols, take care of yourself today." He said, his voice seeming deliberately louder. Willowberry suppressed a growl and stepped back over to her nest. Just as she lay back down she heard Maplescar's voice again.

"Willowberry! Since you're already awake, you can go on the dawn patrol with Flameburst, Tinyfeather, and Seedpaw." The SkyClan deputy meowed, his expression stern. _Did he wait that long on purpose?_ She wondered. Flameburst yawned and Tinyfeather gave a muttered meow of annoyance, giving her white fur a quick groom before leaving.

"I'll go wake up Seedpaw, StarClan knows that apprentice could sleep until the next Gathering." Flameburst sighed, only half-joking. He cocked his head as a signal for Willowberry to follow him out after he gave Silverwater a brief lick over the ear as farewell. With a heavy heart, Willowberry padded after the ginger tom, the weak leaf-fall sun doing nothing to melt away her stress. However, as she set off on the dawn patrol and felt the earth beneath her claws and the brisk air fill her lungs, she began to feel a shred of hope. The leaves that floated from the trees reminded her that things change, and eventually - like the leaves on the trees - they heal again. _Things will get better soon… Won't they?_


End file.
